Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 84: The Official Announces Good News
As Lin Yue lay in bed listening to the conversation between Sun Yong and Zhang Dong, he felt as if every word was piercing his heart.

Jealousy, resentment, and complaints... all sorts of negative emotions surged in his chest, almost overwhelming him.

He gritted his teeth, a sudden tightness gripped his chest, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. With a "pfft," a mouthful of blood spurted out, splattering onto the snow-white bedding in a horrifying sight.

Immediately afterwards, his vision went black, his body went limp, and he fainted from a sudden surge of anger.

"Yue'er!"

"Ok?"

Sun Yong and Zhang Tong, who were talking, exclaimed in surprise at the same time and rushed to the bedside.

Sun Yong's expression changed drastically when he saw Lin Yue unconscious. He asked urgently, "What happened? Has your old injury flared up again?"

Zhang Tong frowned, reaching out to feel Lin Yue's pulse. He asked in disbelief, "This shouldn't be happening. When I checked him yesterday, his condition had stabilized, and the internal bleeding had stopped. How could this happen so suddenly..."

He placed his fingertips on Lin Yue's wrist, concentrating on taking his pulse for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. He said to Sun Yong, "His pulse is erratic, but his internal injuries haven't worsened. It's caused by his emotional fluctuations causing his qi and blood to flow in reverse. He needs to rest and absolutely cannot be subjected to any more stimulation."

Sun Yong's face darkened, and he sighed, "I'm afraid the Li family's ruthless methods have left him with too much resentment, which is why he couldn't control himself when provoked."

A flash of anger crossed Sun Yong's eyes when the Li family was mentioned.

Li Mengchao's attack was so ruthless that he clearly didn't take this master of internal energy seriously.

However, the military examination had a rule that "fists and feet have no eyes, and life and death are left to fate." Although the other party was ruthless, he did not really kill him. Even if he wanted to seek an explanation, he had no legitimate reason to do so and could only swallow his anger.

"Master Zhang, I'll head back now and come see him again in a couple of days."

After confirming that Lin Yue's injuries had not worsened, Sun Yong composed himself and said to Zhang Dong, "I'll trouble you to take good care of him these next few days. Just draw the money and medicine he needs from the martial arts school's account, and make sure he recovers properly."

Zhang Dong nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Master Sun. I know your disciple is exceptionally talented, and I will do my best to treat him. Once he's fully recovered in a few months, I guarantee I'll return to you a formidable and talented disciple."

Sun Yong cupped his hands in greeting, glanced at the unconscious Lin Yue on the bed, and then turned to leave.

Zhang Tong escorted him to the entrance of the clinic, and only after watching Sun Yong's figure disappear into the alley did he slowly shake his head, a hint of understanding in his eyes.

Sun Yong is too caught up in the situation to see clearly.

After spending the last few days with him, he had already discerned Lin Yue's character: narrow-minded, selfish, arrogant, and prone to impulsiveness.

Such talent is rare, but if he doesn't change his mindset, he may find it difficult to achieve great things in the future.

That mouthful of blood just now wasn't a relapse of an old injury at all. It was clearly from hearing that his fellow disciple named Yang Jing had made it onto the list, and he was consumed by jealousy and shame, which caused him to faint from anger and grief.

If he truly cared about the martial arts school, he would only be happy to hear that a fellow student had made the list, so why would he lose his composure like this?
Zhang Dong turned and went back to the clinic, looking in the direction of the ward, and sighed softly.

These two disciples of the Sun family martial arts school, one is exceptionally talented but has an unstable temperament, and the other is taciturn but has extraordinary potential. It's hard to say whether they are a blessing or a curse.

On the dirt road leading from outside the city to Wazi Township.

A bullock cart rumbled through the dust.

Yang Laosan sat on the cart shaft, cracking the ox whip in his hand, his forehead covered in splattering sweat.

He usually drives the cart slowly, never daring to whip the ox, but today he seemed like a different person, wishing the old ox could grow wings and fly to Yangjia Village.

"Drive! Drive!"

As Yang Laosan shouted, the bull whip came down again, striking the bull's rump.

The old ox, in pain, mooed and quickened its pace.

He had just arrived in the county town this morning and hadn't even had time to go to a few familiar grocery stores to buy goods when he heard that the results of the imperial examinations had been posted at the drill ground. He immediately dropped his load and ran towards the city gate.

Squeezing through the crowd and standing on tiptoe to take a look, the name "Yang Jing" was clearly listed, fourth in the list!

He was so happy he almost jumped for joy. What was the point of making money from buying goods compared to this news?
He turned around, hitched up the oxcart, and headed back, his mind filled with the thought of bringing this momentous occasion back to the village as soon as possible.

"Dad! Faster! Faster!"

Inside the carriage, seventeen or eighteen-year-old Yang Wei clung to the side of the carriage, his face flushed red, even more anxious than his father, "I want my great-grandfather and great-grandmother to know as soon as possible that Yang Jing has passed the martial arts exam!"

"I know, I know!"

Old Yang grinned, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, and swung his whip even more vigorously. "This is something to bring honor to our ancestors! Our Yang Family Village has never produced such a person since its founding. You, Brother Yang Jing, are amazing. If you ever have half of Brother Yang Jing's abilities, it will be a huge blessing for our ancestors!"

He still had something to enjoy.

He had previously made a bet with Yang Ji from the village.

Yang Jina is a man who loves to take advantage of others. Last year, he secretly took a plot of land from Uncle Shouzhuo, which caused a major rift between them.

He couldn't stand Yang Ji's attitude, so he bet that Yang Jing would pass the military examination and be on the list of successful candidates.

They bet their own three-tenths of a plot of land on Yang Ji's wife's hairpin.

Later, Yang Ji even spread rumors in the village, mocking him for being stupid, saying that if Yang Jing could pass the martial arts exam, he could twist his head off and use it as a ball.

Now, Yang Jing is not only on the list, but he's also fourth!
He didn't want Yang Ji's damned head, but that shiny hairpin was his!

Just thinking about Yang Ji's expression when he heard the news made Yang Laosan want to laugh. He brought his whip down again, making the old ox quicken its pace.

The poor old ox, usually well taken care of by Yang Laosan, suffered today. The hair on its back was all messed up by the whip, and it ran forward panting heavily. The dust kicked up by the cart wheels left a long tail on the dirt road.

As the sun rose higher, the outline of Yangjia Village became faintly visible ahead. Yang Laosan cracked his whip and shouted even louder, "Giddy up! Almost home!"

As soon as the oxcart crossed the stone bridge at the village entrance, Yang Laosan shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yang Jing has passed the imperial examination! Yang Jing has passed the military examination and is fourth on the list!"

His voice was loud and clear, like the sound of a gong echoing through the village.

The women drying grain in the threshing ground, the old men squatting by the wall smoking their pipes, and the children rolling in the mud were all startled by the shouts and straightened up to look towards the village entrance.

"What? You passed the imperial examination?"

"The list is out?"

Amid the discussions, villagers flocked to the village entrance in twos and threes, quickly surrounding the oxcart.

Yang Laosan had no time to pay attention to the questioning of the crowd. He jumped off the cart and ran into the depths of the village, shouting as he ran: "The results of the military examination are out! The government has released the results! Yang Jing is fourth! He passed! Our village has produced a military examination graduate!" A group of villagers followed behind him, some curious, some excited, and some half-believing, making a noisy fuss as they rushed toward Yang Jing's house.

A large crowd had already gathered outside Yang Jing's mud-brick courtyard wall.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and Yang Jing's mother, Liu Cuiling, poked her head out. She had just heard the commotion outside and her face still showed some confusion: "Third son? What's going on?"

"Sister-in-law! Congratulations! This is wonderful news!"

Yang Laosan rushed to the door, his face flushed and his voice trembling, "Yang Jing passed! The results of the military examination! The government posted them, and Yang Jing ranked fourth! He passed the military examination!"

Liu Cuiling was taken aback at first, her eyes somewhat blank, as if she didn't understand what the words "ranking on the test list" and "fourth place" meant.

But she understood the meaning of the words "passed the martial arts examination".

The village elders often say that passing the imperial examination means becoming an official, escaping the life of toiling in the mud, and even exempting the family's land from various exorbitant taxes.

"What...what did you say?" Liu Cuiling's voice trembled, her hands gripping the door frame tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"It's true!" Old Yang patted his chest. "I saw the list with my own eyes at the city gate, and the name 'Yang Jing' was clearly written on it! There's no mistake!"

With a "boom," as if something had exploded in her mind, Liu Cuiling's tears welled up instantly and streamed down the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

She covered her face, her shoulders trembling slightly, and murmured, "Good...good...this child...I knew it."

In the courtyard, Grandfather Yang Shouzhou was sitting on a stone bench smoking a pipe, while Grandmother Qin was picking vegetables.

Hearing the commotion outside, the elderly couple came out as well.

"What's wrong?" Yang Shouzhou frowned, and just as he asked, he heard Yang Laosan's words.

He dropped his pipe with a thud, sparks from the pipe splashing out and burning his foot without him noticing.

The old man's cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, and he stared intently at Yang Laosan, his lips trembling: "You...you say it again?"

Qin also stopped what she was doing, the green beans in her hand fell into the bamboo basket. She looked at the villagers pouring in through the door, then at her crying daughter-in-law. Her cloudy eyes slowly filled with tears, but a stiff smile appeared on her lips.

The entire Yangjia Village seemed to be buzzing with the sound of this sudden news.

Suddenly, just as the villagers were talking amongst themselves around Yang Jing's house, the sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the village road, accompanied by shouts, growing louder as they approached.

"Officials! Officials are here!"

Someone with sharp eyes noticed the newcomer's attire and exclaimed in surprise.

The villagers gathered at the door were startled and quickly turned around to look.

Amidst the rising dust, a troop of men was approaching. Leading the way was a magnificent black horse, followed by seven or eight tall horses. The riders were all clad in gleaming armor, with long swords at their waists, looking imposing and exuding a chilling aura—clearly a regular group of government soldiers.

At the head of this group of soldiers, riding a white horse was an old man in a blue robe. He had a goatee and a thin face, and looked like a scholar, which made him stand out from the brightly armored soldiers around him.

"Uu——"

The old man with the goatee reined in the horse, and the procession stopped a dozen feet away from Yang Jing's house.

His gaze slowly swept over the area where the crowd had gathered, looking at the villagers watching. His face was expressionless, and he simply raised his hand in a gesture.

A burly soldier nearby immediately dismounted and rushed over to a villager who was watching the commotion from a distance, asking, "Do you know where Lord Yang Jing lives?"

In this world, vicious soldiers are like bandits.

The villager was so frightened by the fierce-looking soldier that his legs almost cramped. He stammered, raising his hand and pointing shakily to the entrance of Yang Jing's house, which was surrounded by a huge crowd: "It's...it's over there...it's...the house with the most people..."

The old man with the goatee glanced in the direction he was pointing, a knowing look flashing in his eyes. He then chuckled at the soldiers around him, his voice neither loud nor soft, but carrying a hint of authority: "Dismount and come with me."

After saying that, he was the first to dismount, his movements slow but graceful.

The soldiers behind him dismounted swiftly, took the reins, and followed the old man toward Yang Jing's house.

The sound of horses' hooves pounding the mud stopped, but the soft rustling of armor rubbing together became clearer, causing the surrounding villagers to instinctively hold their breath and even the noise to subside.

"This...goodness."

As the soldiers marched in with orderly steps, the villagers gathered at the door felt their hearts pound and instinctively shrank back.

In these chaotic times, who hasn't heard the saying that soldiers and bandits are one family?

Normally, one would avoid even a soldier or two on the road, let alone so many burly men in brand-new armor, exuding a menacing aura. The oppressive atmosphere was so overwhelming that it was almost suffocating.

"Give me, give me quickly!"

Someone whispered a call, and the villagers quickly moved to both sides, making way for a wide path. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly, but their eyes couldn't help but steal glances at the soldiers.

The armor gleamed in the sunlight, and the long scabbard at his waist was jet black and shiny—clearly no ordinary item.

Yang Laosan stood at the very front of the crowd and had the clearest view.

He frequently traveled to the county town and had seen many soldiers, but the people in front of him were completely different from those he usually saw.

While ordinary soldiers also wear helmets and armor, their spirits are mostly lax. Unlike this group, their backs are straight, their eyes are sharp as eagles, and even their steps exude energy. Their armor is completely rust-free, as if it were just forged in a blacksmith's shop.

"This...this is..."

Yang Laosan's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly remembered a trip he had seen in the county town a few years ago.

At that time, the county magistrate's carriage was followed by a group of soldiers, whose spirit, equipment and appearance were exactly the same as the group in front of us!
"The county magistrate's personal guards!"

A thought popped into his mind, and Yang Laosan gasped, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The county magistrate is the king of Yuhe County, a figure that even peasants like them can only look up to and feel is a luxury. His personal guards are the best of the best, so why would he come to a small place like Yangjia Village?

"Oh, right, it's because of Yang Jing. He passed the imperial examination, and the county magistrate specially sent someone to deliver the good news!"

Yang Laosan shrank his neck, watching the group of soldiers escorting the old man with the goatee get closer and closer, his heart pounding as if it would jump out of his throat.

(End of this chapter)